Room for Murder (Book 4 in the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries) by Tim Myers

you’re ready to go. Elise and I still have some
laundry to do.”
    Lenora said, “I believe I’ll stay here in
town, if it’s all the same to you. I’d like to get a feel for
Elkton Falls.
    Don’t worry about my transportation back to
the inn. I’ll take a taxi.”
    Alex said, “Rebecca Gray has the only cab in
town, but don’t expect much. She uses her dad’s pickup truck, and
it’s almost in worse shape than mine is. It’s great for hauling
luggage, but there’s not a lot of passenger room up front.”
    Lenora just smiled. “This is why I love
small towns.”
    “ We have our moments,” Alex
said.
    On the way back to Hatteras West, Alex
thought about Lenora’s offer. He considered himself passable in the
looks department, but a model? No, it was too outlandish to even
consider.
    If he hurried, he’d be able to make it back
to the inn before Elise got started on that laundry.
    She was already at work when he got
there.
    Alex said, “Hey, you started without
me.”
    “ I wasn’t sure when you’d
get back,” Elise said curtly. “So, how was lunch?”
    Alex couldn’t hide his grin. “You’re just
not going to believe this. She propositioned me.”
    Elise’s head jerked up. “She what?”
    “ She wants me to model for
her. She’s an artist, you know.”
    Elise began to laugh, softly at first, then
building to a full roar before Alex finally broke in and said,
“Hey, it’s not that funny.”
    “ Alex, you know how much I
think of you, but modeling? Please.”
    He shrugged. “Yeah, that was my reaction,
too. I’m saying no.”
    Elise shook her head. “No, you should do it.
Just think, you don’t want to give up the chance to be in one of
her paintings.”
    Alex grabbed a load of sheets from the
dryer. “Believe it or not, I’ll learn to live without that
particular honor.”
    As Elise continued folding sheets, she said,
“I am sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. So what’s new in Elkton
Falls?”
    “ You heard that Oxford
Hitchcock disappeared, didn’t you?”
    Elise shook her head. “You can’t be serious.
What happened to him?”
    “ Nobody knows. Sheriff
Armstrong’s looking into it.”
    Elise stacked a few sheets in the basket,
then said, “I wonder if the sheriff’s found anything out about Toby
Sturbridge. Emma is beside herself with worry.”
    Alex said, “I don’t blame her. It can’t feel
good, being one of the prime suspects in a murder case.”
    Elise paused a moment, then said, “She
thinks the sheriff is convinced of her guilt. It is truly odd that
Toby showed up in Elkton Falls on the day Emma and Mor get
engaged.”
    Alex said, “I wonder how long he was in
town. Emma said he’d been hounding her for money, but she didn’t
say how long it had been going on. I can’t help wondering if
there’s anything else she’s not telling us.”
    “ Alex Winston, she’s our
friend. Emma could never have had anything to do with Toby’s
death.”
    Alex said, “I didn’t say she was
responsible, just that she might not have come completely clean
with us. Besides, she’s not the only one I’m worried about.”
    Elise put another sheet in the basket. “I’ve
been wondering about Mor myself. No, it’s impossible.”
    Alex shook off the talk. “I’m sure they’re
both innocent,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important for us to
prove Mor and Emma had nothing to do with it.” Alex finished
folding the last sheet, then said, “On a brighter note, Mor and I
are lighting the beacon tonight, and I want you to see it from the
top with us.”
    For a moment, Elise’s face lit up with the
joy of a six-year-old. “How in the world did you ever manage that?
I thought you had to get written approval from the Town
Council.”
    Alex grinned. “The switch is broken, so
Mor’s coming out tonight to replace it and check the light. He’s
clearing it with Grady Hatch as a part of the allowed
maintenance.”
    “ I can’t wait,” Elise said
as they finished their